iPhone App Development: The Missing Manual

Product Updates

After you've fixed your initial bugs and completed some simple feature requests, it's time to upload your 1.0.1 release. Luckily, this is much easier than the first time, because much of the metadata in iTunes Connect doesn't need to change.

New Info

Obviously, you'll have made plenty of changes in your source code. But one change is more important than all others: You need to update the version number in the Info.plist file.

When you upload a new binary, iTunes Connect checks the value for the version number, and if it's not greater than the current version, the file will be rejected. You'll also want to remember to remove any nonnumeric values from the version number (for example, your beta version number).

It's a good idea to use a consistent pattern for your version numbers. Most developers increment the value according to the breadth and depth of changes made. For example, if your current release is 1.0, you use the following for the next release:

• 1.0.1. Minor changes in the release. Primarily bug fixes with no new features.

• 1.1. Used for a release with significant changes including bug fixes and minor new features.

• 2.0. A major new version with many bug fixes and features for customers.

Welcome Back, iTunes

By now, you're an old pro at iTunes Connect, but there's still a few new things to learn. To update your application, start by updating the metadata:

1. Log into iTunes Connect and select Manage Your Applications. Then click the icon of the application you want to update ...